The New Girl
by kensi54382
Summary: Sara has just started at the lab, but trouble is already brewing. What can she do about it? Who can she turn to in a place full of strangers?


**A/N: I know that Catherine probably wasn't this bad in the show, but this is fiction and this is how she came across to me when I started watching CSI.**

* * *

**The New Girl**

Sara Sidle walked into the lab to start her first shift at her new job. She had come to Las Vegas almost two weeks before at the request of her friend Gilbert Grissom to investigate the death of one of his team members, Holly Gribbs. That was when she had met everyone, and she had loved them all. Except Catherine Willows. Even though she had been investigating him, even Warrick Brown had been cordial with her, not exactly rude, but not happy to see her either. When Grissom had offered her a job at the LVPD Crime Lab at the end of her investigation, she had accepted it. She had the chance to work with the man she loved, she had become really good friends with Nick Stokes, and she had found a good friend in Greg Sanders. All was well for Sara, but she knew that the minute Catherine found out that she was going to work there, there would be trouble.

"Hi Miss Sidle," said the receptionist, Judy. "Dr Grissom left these for you."

Sara took the badge and gun from Judy, happy to be a part of the best crime lab in America. "Thank you Judy. Where can I find Grissom?"

"In his office. Shift hasn't started yet, and he is always playing with his bugs before work."

Sara thanked Judy once again and headed off to the office that she had memorised during her investigation the previous week. When she had seen Grissom's office, she had been in awe. The office was full of books on entomology and a few other books that were meant for light reading. There were bugs everywhere, framed and alive. But what had amazed Sara the most was the spider Grissom kept in a container next to his desk. He had been playing with it when she had said goodbye to him at the end of last week, and he had tried to give her the spider to hold for a while. Since she hated spiders with a passion, she had adamantly refused and backed away, a look of horror on her face. But that horror had given way to fascination as she continued to watch her friend.

Sara returned to the present as she reached the office. She knocked on the door and then entered. Grissom was at his desk, reading a case file.

"Sara, welcome. Ready for work?"

"Yes. You aren't playing with that spider today."

"I don't always play with it. Besides, shift is going to start in a few minutes, and I was waiting for you. Let's go." Grissom closed his file and put it on top of a pile of other files.

* * *

Grissom walked into the break room with Sara, pointing out important things that she had missed on her previous investigation. He waited until Sara was next to him before speaking to the group.

"Listen up, Sara is going to be working with us from now on. I want you all to treat her with respect, regardless of your feelings for her. Is that understood?"

Everyone nodded and Nick hugged Sara. "Welcome Sara."

Catherine looked up angrily. "Why is she here!?"

"Because I need a person on the team, and I asked her. Sara is a level three CSI." Grissom stated it clearly, leaving no room for discussion. "Now, assignments. Nicky, Warrick, you guys have a double homicide out in front of Desert Palm. Get going please, Brass will meet you there. Cath, Sara, we have a triple in Reno."

The guys walked out, leaving Catherine and Sara alone while they cleaned up the break room.

"I think you need to leave Sidle."

"Why?"

"You don't belong here."

"Well, I do since I was given a job. I know you don't like me Catherine, but there's nothing I can do about that. Leave me alone."

"No. I hate you. You're just a fucking mean bitch." Catherine walked out, leaving Sara to mull over the words.

* * *

"Griss!" called Catherine from where she was standing next to the first victim.

"Just a moment Cath!" Grissom called back. He was standing with Sara. "Sorry, keep going Sara."

Sara started to speak but Catherine called again. Although Grissom thought she was just being impatient, Sara could see that she had a mischievous grin on her face. After Grissom told her to wait, Sara again tried to speak, but was again interrupted. She was about to try again, but decided against it, knowing that Catherine was just going to keep interrupting her.

Sara walked away, heading back to the victim she was processing. She ignored Grissom when he asked her where she was going. She knew she was going to get into trouble for being rude later on, but she no longer cared. They had been at the scene for three hours now, and nothing had changed. Catherine had been rude the whole time, always behind Grissom's back. Sara didn't want to tell him, for fear of Catherine finding more reasons to hurt her.

"Sara? Come back here." Grissom knew something was wrong, and he had a feeling that it had something to do with Catherine, but he knew Sara would tell him when she was ready, so he left her alone.

Sara stopped and crouched down next to the victim, her vision clouding as tears threatened. She knew Catherine hated her, but there had been no reason for the way she was being treated.

"Sara? Can you hear me?"

Sara looked up, startled. Doc Robbins was in front of her, waving a hand in her face. "Sorry, what did you say?"

"I asked if I can take the body yet. Are you okay? You seem upset."

"I'm okay. Yeah, you can take her, I'm done. Can you tell Grissom that I'm heading back to the lab please?"

Robbins nodded, watching as Sara gathered her belongings and drove to the crime lab.

* * *

When Sara got back to the lab, she headed straight to Greg. She knew he would listen to her, no matter what she was talking about. She dropped evidence off as she walked past the AV and ballistics labs, avoiding eye contact so that no one would see she had been crying.

"Hey Sara, I heard Grissom hired you. I missed you," said Greg when Sara walked into the DNA lab.

Sara smiled quickly. "Thanks Greg. Do you have a few minutes to talk?"

"For you, of course I do. What's up?"

"Did I do something to Catherine without realising I did?"

"No. She's being a bitch, right?"

"Yeah."

"Don't worry about her. She does it to everyone that Grissom gives attention to. She gets jealous cause she likes Grissom."

"I don't want to come between them but I took this job to work with someone I trust. I didn't have that in San Fransisco. The people in that crime lab and coroner's office were horrible people."

"It's okay. Why don't you ask Grissom if you can work with the guys. I'm sure they would love to work with you."

That sounded like a good idea to Sara. "Thanks Greg."

Greg watched Sara leave, wondering what she would say if he asked her out tonight.


End file.
